[Erin Kane] President Feldman, it's been a few weeks since we last checked in with you.
Can you talk about some of the progress you've been seeing? [Richard Feldman] Sure Erin. Quite a lot
has happened over the last month or so. I think a primary thing that's
happened is the reorganization establishment of the University
Diversity and Equity Council. That's a body of people from all around the
University who have responsibility for organizing and managing a number of
initiatives everywhere in the University regarding diversity and inclusion and equity.
[Kane] So some of the responses to the recommendations from the University's
perspective might go farther than what's in the White Report. Can you talk about
that? [Feldman] Sure. In a number of cases the recommendations in the White Report were
fairly narrow in the way they were specified. For example it, the report
recommended that we identify advisors to work with anybody who believes she or he
has been the subject of sexual misconduct by a faculty member. We looked
at that recommendation and thought well there's no reason to have advisors only
in the case of faculty members. There should be advisors for anyone who needs
support through this kind of system. [Kane] So in your opinion does the White Report go
far enough? [Feldman] The recommendations address important issues that we do need to
think about, but it focused primarily on the kind of case that provoked the
report and we think we want to make sure we address the issues much more
broadly, so that it affects all the kinds of situations that might arise
throughout the University. [Kane] I've heard some alumni say that the University's
response has been very Rochester. What does that mean to you?
[Feldman] I think the intellectual style that we have is very analytical, very thoughtful
very careful. The other piece of it is the way that people involved
have participated. I've been really delighted by the kind of collaboration,
the spirit that people have come to this with and there's a real commitment on
the part of all of them to try to work together to come to the best
conclusions we can. [Kane] By all indications the University is performing well. What
are you seeing that indicates that? [Feldman] At the undergraduate level for the college
applications were up more than ten percent this year, surpassed twenty thousand
applicants for the first time. Very high quality the applications are up in all
categories domestic, international. On the advancement front, our contributions
are up over twenty percent compared to last year. It seems to be another very
strong year. And then in a very different kind of measure of success, funding for a
number of our research projects are looking very good. [Kane] So many people are so
committed to the University of Rochester. Can you talk a little bit about the
response you've seen from members of the University community? [Feldman] The response from
members of the University community has been extremely gratifying to me from the
Faculty Senate and other faculty members who have participated in a
variety of discussions and committees to try to strengthen policies and programs.
Undergraduate students and graduate students who have met who formed
committees, who are interacting coming forward with various proposals and
suggestions about things we might do, staff members who are participating in a
variety of our committees and organizations and, and coming through
with proposals and ideas. So, there's support from throughout the University
and a remarkable amount of commitment and enthusiasm energy around this. It's,
it's really another indication of, of how things work so well here at Rochester with the
community coming together to try to strengthen what's already a strong program.